Rosaline Wood (A Violet Eden Follow-on Reboot)

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Rooftop Rendezvous

The aeroplane ride home was reasonably comfortable. We weren't attacked by anyone and I didn't get airsick so life was good. And Dean was several rows behind Cam and me. Who am I kidding? That was probably about all that was positive about the trip. And Cam caused half of the problems.

    "He looks hungover," mused my friend turning back around for the hundredth time that flight. I rolled my eyes, not for the first time either.

    "Why do you keep turning around to look at him?" I mumbled. "And I really don't care if he's got a hangover." Hell! I didn't even think he'd ever drink enough to get one. The list of 'Things Rose doesn't know about Dean' was piling up hard and fast.

    "He likes you," Cam insisted. "And he's not gonna let you go easily." A brief moment of silence ensued. "It's kind of cute that you have the power to make him drink himself silly." I rolled my eyes again. I could almost hear Mum chiding me. 'Hope they don't get stuck up there.'

    "It is not cute," I retorted, "He is not cute. And I don't give a damn about whom or what he likes." My friend shifted again in her seat.

    "Okay, Rose," she sighed. "But you're killing the guy. You know that, right?" I turned my head out the window ignoring her. Like hell I knew I was hurting him; I could hear his emotions even from four rows away. His mood resembled that of 'Largo' from Shostakovich's 5th Symphony with clashing, off beat chords thrown in randomly. The sound would have had any musician writhing in frustration. He was sad, unbalanced and in pain; just like he should be.

After what felt like an eternity the plane touched down again on solid ground. Cam and I made our way through security to the front of the airport where we were met by Zoe.

    "C'mon you two," she beckoned, "Let's get goin' before Steph and Sal wreck my car." Cam sent me a mischievous look before following. 'Don't get too ahead of yourself, Cam' I thought.

When we arrived at the car Salvatore and Steph were deadly quiet but I swear the Jaws theme was emanating from the latter. My mother's friend was sitting in the passenger seat ignoring us and her husband was in the backseat behind the driver staring out the window. Zoe opened the door for us and we slid in; Cam went first. Zoe fired up the engine and we headed to the warehouse in almost complete silence. For the whole ride Cam was drumming her fingers on her knee or bouncing her leg with nervous energy. We pulled up at our destination and slunk inside. As soon as the front door closed Steph exploded.

    "What possessed you to do that?" she fired, "What half-brained reason do you have for tripping off to New York without telling anyone? We were all scared half-to-death with worry until Josephine called us up. Of all the conceited and impertinent things to do, you decided to go off with no proper protection to one of the deadliest cities for your kind without any sort of warning. Do you realise the trouble you have caused us all and what kind of a name you've made for yourself in the Grigori community? More importantly, the stress you put your parents through? We informed your mother as soon as we realise you were missing; she was distraught. Do you have any care of anybody else's wellbeing other than your own?" I didn't answer but I kept firm eye contact. I was not letting Steph think she could frighten me.

    "Well?" she questioned hotly, "Do you?" Cam, who had apparently had more experience than me at this sort of thing, took centre stage. She later informed me that the whole silent-defiance thing that I had been going for never worked and usually just made the person look a little bit stupid. Like a Japanese fighting fish, she'd said. All the hell she'd put me through on the plane was all paying off now. Cameron D'Arcy: part-time antagonist, part-time saviour, fulltime best friend.